Every writer’s frustration is getting the grammar and punctuation
correct. Without it, our readers can’t follow the road we have prepared
for them. Even a grammarian/English teacher needs to check her work
regularly and review rules. One of the best books for assisting both
the conscientious beginner and the experienced writer is a text that was
on the recommended list for a college class I took: Diana Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference. I have returned to college several times picking up
different certifications and degrees, but this is the best writing reference text I came
across over the years.
- Looking to track down the list of
the words most confused by writers? Check A Writer’s Reference. - Want to
understand the ins and outs of the semicolon vs the colon? Check A
Writer’s Reference. - Document design harassing you? Check A Writer’s
Reference. - Have to give proper documentation for research you have
done? A Writer’s Reference supplies formats for MLA, APA, and CMS. - Are
you an ESL individual still dooking it out with prepositions and
articles? A Writer’s Reference has a section on that. - Need more
practice than is in the text? It also has an online presence with plenty
of practice sets and explanations.
This is a compact
text, about 6 1/2 x 8 inches, held together by a comb binding, so it
travels well and lays flat. Cost is a bit steep, ($50.00+ on average),
but grammar evolves quite slowly, so you have time to wear it out. So
dictionary (or word book: see my previous post on spell friendly dictionaries, July 11, 2012), thesaurus, A Writer’s Reference, if you
write anything and care about writing well, have them in easy reach.
